Crapemyrtle plant named &#39;pascagoula&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Lagerstroemia  crapemyrtle plant named ‘Pascagoula’, characterized by its deep purple color flowers and small to medium growth habit.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional PatentApplication Ser. No. 61/626,459 filed Sep. 27, 2011. The entirety ofthat provisional application is incorporated herein by reference.

STATEMENT OF GOVERNMENT SUPPORT

This invention was made with government support under 58-6404-0-014awarded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural ResearchService. The government may have certain rights in the invention.

BOTANICAL CLASSIFICATION

Lagerstroemia: L. indica×L. fauriei×L. limii. ‘Arapaho’×L. unknown

CULTIVAR DENOMINATION

Crapemyrtle ‘Pascagoula’

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of theornamental flowering shrub and landscape plant of the genusLagerstroemia, commonly known as crapemyrtle, of the family Lythraceae,and is referred to hereinafter by its cultivar denomination‘Pascagoula’. This novel plant is an asexually propagated hybrid ofcrapemyrtle that was selected in 2008 from approximately 2800 crosses.The female seed parent is Lagerstroemia indica×L. fauriei×L. limii.‘Arapaho’ (PI 633034). The male pollen parent is unknown since the newcultivar resulted from open pollination of ‘Arapaho’. ‘Pascagoula’ wasselected for its unique deep purple flower color and small to mediumsize. The designation ‘Pascagoula’ was evaluated under the experimentalname ‘2008-0030’. This high quality novel and distinct cultivar ofcrapemyrtle plant was vegetatively propagated at the Mississippi StateUniversity Coastal Research and Extension Center, South MississippiBranch Experiment Station, in Poplarville, Miss. Each of severalgenerations of cuttings has produced stable plants identical to theoriginal seedling plant.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The new cultivar is a Lagerstroemia hybrid resulting from the openpollination of Lagerstroemia: L. indica×L. fauriei×L. limii. ‘Arapaho’(female parent). ‘Pascagoula’ is a distinctive, new cultivar ofcrapemyrtle plant characterized by its deep purple flower color andsmall to medium crapemyrtle growth habit. The traits of the new plantare continually maintained when propagated asexually. This new cultivarmay vary slightly with changes in location, temperature, light, andother environmental conditions, but the genotype will not be affected.‘Pascagoula’ also exhibits the quality and characteristic ofadaptability to all areas of hardiness zones 7-10. ‘Arapaho’, the femaleparent of ‘Pascagoula’, is a tall crapemyrtle compared to the small tomedium size of ‘Pascagoula’. ‘Arapaho’ also has red flowers compared topurple flowers for ‘Pascagoula’. This new plant has unique flower colorcontained in a small to medium growing crapemyrtle. The combination of‘Pascagoula's purple flower color and small to medium growth habitdistinguishes it from all other crapemyrtle cultivars.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The color photographs of FIG. 1 through FIG. 4 illustrate the overallappearance and unique characteristic of purple flower color of the newcrapemyrtle cultivar ‘Pascagoula’. The photographs were taken usingconventional techniques and, although colors may appear different fromactual colors due to light reflectance, the new plant and its colors areshown as true and accurately as reasonably possible by conventionalphotographic techniques. Colors in the photographs may differ from theactual colors and values in the description of the new crapemyrtle plantdue to light conditions and other factors. The photographs and thedetailed description of the invention are intended to illustrate furtherthe invention and its advantages.

FIG. 1 is a color photograph of the new crapemyrtle ‘Pascagoula’ takenat the Coastal Research and Extension Center, South Mississippi BranchExperiment Station that shows the flower and leaf color of the newcultivar.

FIG. 2 is a color photograph of the new crapemyrtle ‘Pascagoula’ takenat the Coastal Research and Extension Center South Mississippi BranchExperiment Station that shows the flower and leaf color of the newcultivar.

FIG. 3 is a color photograph of the new crapemyrtle ‘Pascagoula’ takenat the Coastal Research and Extension Center South Mississippi BranchExperiment Station that illustrates leaf and stem color of the newplant.

FIG. 4 is a color photograph of the new crapemyrtle ‘Pascagoula’ takenat the Coastal

Research and Extension Center South Mississippi Branch ExperimentStation that illustrates leaf and stem color of the new plant.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE VARIETY

-   -   Latin name: Lagerstroemia×‘Pascagoula’        Lagerstroemia: L. indica×L. fauriei×L. limii.        ‘Arapaho’×Lagerstroemia unknown    -   Cultivar denomination: ‘Pascagoula’

The present invention is a novel Lagerstroemia×‘Pascagoula’ cultivarknown as ‘Pascagoula’ that is different from other crapemyrtlecultivars.

ARP X VEL 0030 Row 14—Replication 2—Plant #15 in Rep. McNeill planting.

The following is a detailed botanical description of the characteristicsof the new Lagerstroemia crapemyrtle cultivar known as ‘Pascagoula’,based on observations of the plant grown at the Coastal Research andExtension Center and research facility at Poplarville, Miss., and undersimilar conditions to those for growing these plants commercially.‘Pascagoula’ has been observed under many but not all possibleenvironmental conditions. Color notations of plant tissues are basedupon The Royal Horticulture Society (R.H.S.) Colour Chart, 2001 Edition.Color notations may have been slightly affected by light quality andfertility and general plant growth. Certain characteristics will varydepending on the age of the plants so that dimensions, sizes, and colorsare approximations or averages since the cultivar has not been observedunder every possible environmental condition. Therefore the phenotype ofthe cultivar may differ from the descriptions depending uponenvironmental variations including, but not limited to, the season,temperatures, day lengths, light direction and quality, andfertilization, as well as other factors.

The present invention is a Lagerstroemia hybrid resulting from the openpollination of Lagerstroemia indica×L. fauriei×L. limii. ‘Arapaho’(female parent), whereby ‘Arapaho’ was crossed with a Lagerstroemiaunknown pollen donor (male parent). The stem color of this new plant isRoyal Horticulture Society (R.H.S.) Colour Chart Group 199-B. The leafcolor is R.H.S. Colour Chart Group 139-A. The flower petal color is deeppurple (R.H.S. Colour Chart Group N72-A). This new plant is acrapemyrtle with unique deep purple flower color that may be used as aspecimen in landscapes where crapemyrtles are traditionally used. Thiscrapemyrtle plant will be in the twelve to fifteen (12-15+) foot plusrange for growth. Currently, not many crapemyrtles exist that are “deeppurples” that are dark in color as the present invention and that are inthis growth range.

FIGS. 1 and 2 show the flower color and the leaf color of the newcultivar. FIG. 3 shows the stem color of the new cultivar. FIG. 4 showsthe leaf color and stem color of the new plant.

The final height and width of the plant have not been observed.Three-year plants in the research facility at the South MississippiBranch Experiment Station are greater than 12 to 15 feet tall andapproximately 6 to 8 feet wide, forming a multiple or single trunk largecrapemyrtle. It can possibly be grown as a medium shrub in climateswhere shoot growth is killed to the ground each winter. Its foliagecomprises glossy green leaves that are opposite and that areapproximately from 2.00 to 2.50 inches in length and from 1.00 to 1.50inches in width. The leaf top color is R.H.S. Colour Chart Group 139-A.The leaf underside color is R.H.S. Colour Chart Group 146-A. The leaftype is simple and is persistent and deciduous. The leaf margin isentire, the leaf shape is elliptical, and the leaf venation is pinnate.The stem is rather slender with a slightly angular shape with slightwings when young and a round shape when growth is more mature. The newplant is a deciduous, summer-flowering plant, so that fall color hasbeen inconsequential. The plant has shown insect and disease tolerancecomparable to the parent under field conditions.

The flowers are perfect, 6-petaled and each flower is approximately 1.25inches in diameter. The flowers are purple and are most typicallyvisible from early June to late August depending on environmentalconditions. The flowers have medium tapered panicles. The flower panicleis approximately 10 inches long. The unopened flower capsule color isR.H.S. Colour Chart Group 59-A. When the flowers fade, they generallyfade to lighter shades of purple, lavender, or light blue, and not topink or red tones.

The fruit is comprised of seed pods that are dark green in color turningto brown. The mature seed pod color is R.H.S. Colour Chart Group 144-A.The fruit is a broad-ellipsoidal 6-valved dehiscent capsule, brown incolor, approximately ½ of an inch wide. Seeds are approximately ⅜ to ½of an inch long and winged. The pistil color is R.H.S. Colour ChartGroup 14-A. A woody capsule generally persists on the panicle until latewinter. Cold testing for cold hardiness has not yet been completed forthe new cultivar. Plants had just begun to exhibit the exfoliating barkcharacteristics common to crapemyrtles at the time of observation.

Rooting of the new small to medium-sized crapemyrtle is easilyaccomplished, making the plant excellent for production purposes, andsuch rooted plants are identical to the original. The novelty of theplant includes its purple flower color (R.H.S. Colour Chart Group N72-A)and its small to medium size. ‘Pascagoula’ may be used as a specimen inlandscapes where crapemyrtles are traditionally used. The newcrapemyrtle plant will be in the 15-foot range for growth. Currently,not many crapemyrtles exist that are this “deep purple” color and thatare in this small to medium crapemyrtle growth range group.

As will be apparent to those skilled in horticultural science, the newand distinct crapemyrtle plant cultivar described herein may vary inminor detail due to climatic, soil, and cultural conditions under whichthe variety may be grown, as well as the stage of growth.

What is claimed is:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of crapemyrtleLagerstroemia hybrid plant named ‘Pascagoula’, substantially as hereinillustrated and described.